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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — letters
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com